The BBPA said the last orders rush at 11pm, and drinking against the clock, were widely recognised to be among the main problems in the past.

Many premises have opted only for a modest increase in opening hours, particularly between Thursday and Sunday.

About 50% pubs and bars are said to now close at midnight rather than 11pm - with some clubs and late bars shutting at 3am, instead of 2am.

'Sensible' policies

The government said the act gave people more choice over when they drank alcohol and authorities extra powers to tackle problem sites and irresponsible venues.

"A year ago we saw predictions of huge numbers of pubs and clubs being allowed to stay open round the clock, with resulting drunken disorder in our towns and cities," said Hazel Harding, chair of the Local Government Association safer communities board.

"These have proved patently false, largely because councils have set up sensible licensing policies which are sensitive to the needs of local people."

But the Conservative Party contends high legal costs means many local residents are still "powerless" to object to noisy venues.

Hugo Swire, shadow culture secretary, called on the government to publish drink-related crime and disorder figures.

He said: "Given that the government have axed the additional money spent on extra policing for the introduction of the new licensing laws, we are concerned that policing the new system could mean cuts elsewhere."

A Home Office assessment in July concluded there had been little change in violent crime and criminal damage after the introduction of the act.

The Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University looked at the effect of the both the Licensing Act and the Home Office initiative on violence in Wirral.

It found assaults reported to a local accident and emergency department dropped by 15% - equal to about 160 a year.

However, it said there were "epidemic levels" of alcohol-related harm, and the industry should be made to foot additional costs placed on health and judicial services.

Lesley King-Lewis, chief executive of the charity Action on Addiction, said there had been no real change in the number of people treated at A&E departments overnight because of alcohol-related incidents.

"The introduction of extended licensing hours appears not to have had an impact on Britain's drinking culture; specifically not on the way that we are drinking," she said.

For its part, the government continues to promote sensible drinking and has recently launched the Know Your Limits advertising campaign.

The industry-backed Drinkaware Trust, meanwhile, has been set up to encourage responsible drinking.